Tag Archives: Slovakia

HALLE, Germany (AP) — A heavily armed assailant ranting about Jews tried to force his way into a synagogue in Germany on Yom Kippur, Judaism’s holiest day, then shot two people to death nearby in an attack Wednesday that was livestreamed on a popular gaming site.

The proposals include tightening gun laws, stepping up prosecution of online hate, and boosting financial support for projects fighting anti-Semitism and far-right extremism.

“The horrible attack on the Jewish community in Halle showed again what the unleashing of hatred online can lead to,” Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht said at a news conference in Berlin when she introduced the bundle of measures alongside Germany’s interior and family ministers.

“We will fight far-right terrorism and anti-Semitism with all the power of the law,” Lambrecht added.

Germany is still reeling from the attempted attack on a synagogue by a 27-year-old German in the eastern city of Halle on Oct. 9, who later killed two passers-by before being arrested. The man posted an anti-Semitic screed before the attack and broadcast the shooting live on a popular video game streaming site. (Kirsten Grieshaber, US News & World Report, 10/30)

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The Far Right Is Taking On Cultural Institutions

Theaters, museums, and other venues in Germany are facing pressure from the AfD, raising questions about the extent of artistic freedoms.

ELIZA APPERLY, OCT 28, 2019, The Atlantic

BERLIN – Protests against public artworks in Dresden and Kassel. A ban on political discussions at the city theater in Freiberg. And a criminal investigation against a performance art collective.

Germany’s far right is fighting a culture war—and at the forefront is the country’s largest opposition party, the Alternative for Germany (AfD). Founded only six years ago, the group has transitioned from a platform of opposing the euro to far-right nationalism. Fierce anti-immigrant rhetoric has helped the group gain sizable sway in regional parliaments, with significant victories in three regional elections this fall.

Yet beyond its focus on immigration, the issue for which it is best known, the AfD has another important target – culture. At both the federal and the regional level, the party devotes significant attention to cultural matters: Its main manifesto includes more pages on culture, language, and identity than on employment, national security and justice, and foreign policy. In Dresden, the AfD municipal program extends to suggested background music for a specific tram line.

Voters in the eastern German state of Thuringia boosted the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in regional elections on Sunday, according to preliminary results, but the Left party will remain the dominant political force in the state.

With all districts reporting, results showed the Left party winning 31% of votes in the state that was once part of the communist former East Germany. (DW, 10/28)

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GERMAN INTERVENTION IN LIBYA

Germany’s Foreign Minister Heiko Maas is intervening in Libya, calling for an “end to foreign intervention.” On the occasion of his trip to Turkey and North Africa he arrived last Sunday for a brief visit in the country, to prepare an international conference on Libya, which the German government intends to convene soon. With this conference the German government seeks to possibly pacify the country and distinguish itself as a “regulatory force” in North Africa. Maas then traveled on to Egypt, which also is involved in the Libyan war. While the German minister is declaring that the Egyptians should be able “to breathe the air of liberty,” Cairo is continuing its brutal repression. Since the military coup in July 2013, more than 1,500 people have disappeared from state custody. While seeking to pacify Libya, Berlin is increasing its “regulatory” activities in an “arch of crisis” extending from North Africa and the Middle East to Central Asia. However, until now, without success. (German Foreign Policy, 10/30)

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VISEGRAD COUNTRIES GROWING

“Fifteen years after they joined the EU, the four “Visegrad” states of central Europe (the V4) can be prouder of their economic achievements than of their patchy record on political reform. The Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia have increased their levels of GDP per head dramatically, and are converging with their mighty neighbor Germany. The Czechs are the richest, with a GDP per head that is 73% of Germany’s, followed by Slovakia with 63% and Hungary and Poland with around 57% each – and the gap continues to close, as their growth outpaces that of the behemoth.” (The Economist, 10/26)

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UK BECOMING MORE EUROPEAN

“Before the referendum in 2016 European Union flags were as rare as golden eagles in Britain. Today they are as common as sparrows. Parliament Square is permanently festooned with them. Activist Remainers flaunt flag-themed berets and T-shirts. On October 19th a million-strong army of People’s Vote supporters marched on Westminster beneath a sea of gold and blue standards . . .

“This is part of a bigger paradox: the more Britain struggles to leave the EU, the more it embraces European style politics. Since the dawn of the democratic era Britain has practiced two or two and a bit party politics compared with the continent’s multiparty system. That is changing, accelerated by Brexit.

The Scottish National Party controls Scotland. The ruling Conservative Party is 45 MPs short of a majority. The European Research Group of hard-line Brexiteers acts as a party within the Tory party. The Liberal Democrats could make big gains in the forthcoming general election, especially if Brexit seems reversible.” (The Economist, 10/26)

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CATHOLIC SYNOD IN ROME RECOGNIZES DIVIDED CHURCH

“The synod represents the biggest step yet towards recognizing something many Catholics in the West, especially church leaders, have been reluctant to acknowledge: Just as economic and Diplomatic power in the secular world is sleeping away from the North Atlantic region, a similar process is taking place in Catholicism. In the secular world, the shift is to Asia. Within the Catholic church it is towards not only Asia, but Africa and Latin America, too. That is forcing the church to consider how far it is willing to adapt to the practices and beliefs of cultures with their own spiritual traditions. The synod has added to fears of a new schism within the church.” (The Economist, 10/26)

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TO THE POINT

Warren not a socialist: “Some Republicans and Wall Street critics claim that Ms. Warren is a socialist. She is not. She does not support the public ownership of firms or political control of the flow of credit. Instead she favors regulations that force the private sector to pass her test of what it is to be fair.” (“A plan for American capitalism,” The Economist, 10/26)

Russia in Africa “… over the past decade, and especially after America and the EU imposed sanctions on Russia related to its annexation of Crimea in 2014, the Kremlin has viewed Africa as an increasingly important arena. Since 2015 a dozen African leaders have visited Russia. From 2006 to 2018 Russia’s total trade with sub-Saharan Africa increased by 336%. It is the largest arms exporter to the continent, accounting for 39% of deliveries in 2013-17 (many from Russia to Algeria”. (The Economist, 10/26)

Farage’s gamble — EU ministers are taking a breather from Brexit as the action moves firmly back to London, where MPs are preparing for a general election. In a possible game-changer for Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage’s Brexit party is considering whether to pull out of hundreds of seats. This would be a major boost to the UK prime minister, given the risks that the Brexit party could split the vote among leavers. (FT) As James Blitz writes, the prime minister is taking a massive gamble by engineering the vote before the UK is out of the EU. Farage’s Brexit party poses one possible risk. Another is that Labour will hammer home the message that a victorious Tory party would use Brexit as an opportunity to pursue a hard-right social and economic agenda. (Financial Times 10/31)

Refreshing view on Israel: Egyptian Coptic patriarch Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria said in an October 14, 2019 interview on France 24 Arabic TV that he encourages Copts to visit Jerusalem because getting closer to others increases mutual understanding. He said that Israel is a country like any other country and expressed support for an agreement that would make Jerusalem an international capital, though he said that this is not possible given the current reality. Pope Tawadros II expressed concern for Christian holy places in Jerusalem and said that many parties are collectively responsible for the complexity of the current realities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He praised efforts to resolve the conflict. (MEMRI, 10/30)

The worst patients in the world: “Americans are hypochondriacs, yet we skip our checkups. We demand drugs we don’t need, and fail to take the ones we do. No wonder the US leads the world in health spending.” (David H. Freedman, The Atlantic, July 2019).

Lord Ismay, the first Secretary-General of NATO, stated, in 1957, that the organization’s goal was “to keep the Russians out, the Americans in and the Germans down.”

This is now forgotten.

Last week, the British withdrew almost all of their troops from Germany. A token force of 185 is remaining, with an additional 60 Ministry of Defense civilians. There were 19,100 troops until recently.

At the weekend, President Trump threatened to withdraw Americans troops from the country.

“The US has threatened to withdraw thousands of troops stationed in Germany amid a dispute with Angela Merkel’s government over defence spending.

“Richard Grenell, the US ambassador in Berlin, warned that his country could pull out some of its forces if Germany continues to fall short of the alliance’s spending target of 2 per cent of GDP.

“It is actually offensive to assume that the US taxpayer must continue to pay to have 50,000-plus Americans in Germany, but the Germans get to spend their surplus on domestic programs,” Mr. Grenell told Germany’s DPA news agency.

“The remarks will add to concerns that the NATO alliance is becoming strained by President Trump’s impatience with German military spending.” (Justin Huggler, Daily Telegraph, 8/9)

The British withdrawal from the EU leaves Germany without any challenger in the EU. The withdrawal of troops makes it more likely that Europe will pursue an independent military policy.

The Bible prophesies the rise of a European military, political and economic power at the end time (Revelation 17:12-14).

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GERMANY TO LEAD EU IN PERSIAN GULF NAVAL OPERATION

(Own report) – German military experts have presented their first concrete plans for an EU naval operation in the Persian Gulf. According to the draft of two well-connected government advisors and a Bundeswehr professor, warships should be cruising at the two entrances to the Strait of Hormuz. Supplementary warships should escort oil tankers through the strait with armed troops on board to ward off possible attacks – depending on the disposition to escalate. This would necessitate “between 10 and 30 percent of the EU’s naval capacities,” and Berlin should be in command of the deployment to demonstrate its aspiration to shape global policy. Whereas sectors of the SPD and the opposition reject the operation, the chancellor and foreign ministry are promoting the plan also within the EU. Previously, Foreign Minster Heiko Maas had rejected the US demand for Germany to deploy warships in a US-led naval mission in the Middle East. Berlin is positioning itself to be an independent power in global politics. (German Foreign Policy, 8/15)

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PELOSI THREATENS BREXIT

If there is no deal with the EU on Brexit, Nancy Pelosi threatens the proposed trade deal between Britain and the US.

The reason is simple. Leo Varadkar is against it. He’s the Irish PM and does not want the British to leave the EU, thereby bringing back the border between Britain and Ireland.

Ms. Pelosi, a Catholic (except on abortion), sympathizes with Ireland on this issue.

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WASHINGTON TO FOLLOW DETROIT

“Washington is headed where Detroit once was” was the headline in the “Think” section of the Detroit News August 1st. In an article by Alison Acosta Winters and Russell Latino, the authors wrote: “The U.S. House of Representatives just passed a two-year budget deal that will bust the spending cap by $320 billion and put our country on a fiscal trajectory that the Congressional Budget Office called its “worst case scenario.”

“Worst case,” indeed.

“At a time when the federal debt has surpassed $22 trillion, lawmakers have voted not to address the explosion of debt, but to add to it. Over the next decade, the latest bipartisan budget deal will increase federal debt by $1.7 trillion beyond the already-baked-in debt of $12.4 trillion.

“Fiscal watchdog groups from across the political spectrum slammed the deal as reckless and irresponsible. The nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget said the deal “may end up being the worst budget agreement in our nation’s history.”

“This week the 2020 presidential campaign came to Detroit, a city that knows first-hand what a debt crisis looks like.

“Unlike Detroit, the US government can’t declare bankruptcy to get out from under its mountain of debt growing at more than $1 trillion a year. But even without bankruptcy, that’s a recipe for an economic catastrophe that would make the 2008 financial collapse pale in comparison. And when it comes, it will be programs like defence, Medicare and Social Security that take the biggest hits.

“To avoid that outcome, we are going to have to get serious about reining in out-of-control spending.”

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TOP PAY

The chief executives of America’s 350 leading companies took home an average $17.2m last year, 278 times the salary of their average worker. A new survey by the Economics Policy Institute found the average pay of a top US CEO has grown by 1,007.5% in the past four decades, while a typical worker’s grew by just 11.9%. The trend is so dramatic even CEOs are sounding the alarm. Ray Dalio, the founder of the world’s biggest hedge fund, warned this year that the US wealth gap was becoming a “national emergency.”

Byron Auguste says the US labour market is broken, and to fix it we need an “Opportunity Marketplace:” new rules and tools “to empower Americans without college degrees to earn more, in better jobs, and to gain new skills at much lower financial risk.” (Guardian briefing, 8/14)

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Collateral damage: Germany’s economy

As the trade war rages between America and China, export-orientated economies are caught in the crossfire. Figures out today showed that Germany’s economy contracted by 0.1% in the second quarter compared to the first. Exports appear to have taken some flak. So has industrial production – particularly car making, which suffered a blow from last year’s changes to emissions-testing rules. German industrial weakness tends to spread eastwards, thanks to tightly-knit manufacturing supply chains: growth in Slovakia, also out today, was modest (0.4% on the previous quarter), though Hungary’s (1.1%) was stronger. Despite Germany’s limping manufacturing, household spending has soldiered on. But how long can consumers hold out? In the face of slowing demand, BASF, a chemicals maker, is cutting 6,000 jobs. Some firms are scaling back working hours. Economists hope that fiscal policy might come to the rescue. But so far German politicians show little inclination to change their tight-fisted ways to defend growth. (The Economist Briefing, 8/14)

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LETTER FROM GHANA

“Tolerance now means, if you don’t agree with me you are my enemy.

The NPP Government is ruling like a dictatorship with reckless abandon. They have mortgaged the Nation to China, borrow more money than all other Governments put together in just three years with absolutely nothing to show for it.

“Those of Us who can feel the rumblings are praying for it to pass us by. Unfortunately the Nation is been driven into survival mode and behaves abnormally. Reactionary rather than reasonable response.

“Like all wars in Africa, it will start as NPP against NDC but quickly degenerate in ethnic wars with some tribes splitting on the Akans and Ewes. Ghanaians have nowhere to go but pray.” (8/13)

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FORGOTTEN ROLES

The movie “Mission of Honor” tells the story of the R.A.F.’s 303 Squadron during World War II’s Battle of Britain. This was a squadron made up of Polish volunteers. Poles accounted for 20% of pilots at this critical time for Great Britain. After the war, most were sent back to Poland and died at the hands of Stalin.

I doubt there will ever be a movie about the Rhodesians who fought in the Battle of Britain, including the “rebel” leader, Ian Smith. Rhodesia was also a training ground for British RAF pilots, thousands of miles away in the safety of the African bush.

Without the Rhodesians and the Poles, it’s doubtful Britain would have won the battle in the skies. That would have meant a German victory, altering the outcome of the Second World War. After the war, Britain betrayed both.

Austrian Foreign Minister and the leader of the Austrian Peoples Party (OeVP) Sebastian Kurz attend a news conference at the Kahlenberg mountain in Vienna, Austria, Dec. 16, 2017. EPA-EFE/CHRISTIAN BRUNA

Whereas Germany is having difficulty putting together a coalition government, Austria’s youthful Chancellor, the youngest head of government in the world, has been successful. Sebastian Kurz, 31, leads the Austrian People’s Party. His party is now in coalition with the “extreme right” Freedom Party, led by Heinz-Christian Strache. The latter party is often compared to the Nazis, whose leader, Adolf Hitler, was from Austria. This is an exaggeration, to say the least.

Both leaders and their supporters, are concerned about the invasion of their country by Muslims and encroaching Islamization. They announced the formation of their government on Kahlenberg Mountain outside of Vienna, the same hill where Islamic Turks were defeated on 9-11 (& 12), 1683, ending the Muslim threat to western Europe. The new government joins Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia in turning against the tide of immigrants welcomed by Germany’s Chancellor, Angela Merkel. Interestingly, all five of these countries were parts of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which collapsed after World War One.

One thing is certain – Austria has become the first western nation with a genuine conservative government.

“The new coalition was agreed on Friday (15th December) by the conservative People’s Party (ÖVP) and the Freedom Party (FPÖ), pledging to stop illegal immigration, cut taxes and resist EU centralization.

It will be led by Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, who took over the ÖVP in May and yanked it to the right, securing his party first place in October elections. At 31, Kurz will be the world’s youngest leader.

At his side for the investiture by Austria’s (figurehead) president in the Hapsburg dynasty’s imperial palace in Vienna was FPÖ chief Heinz-Christian Strache, 48, now vice-chancellor, and FPÖ general secretary Herbert Kickl, the new interior minister.

“Strache has said Islam “has no place in Europe” and last year called German Chancellor Angela Merkel “the most dangerous woman in Europe” for her open-door refugee policy.

On Sunday, Strache trumpeted to his 750,000 followers on Facebook that the new government would slash social benefits for asylum-seekers.

“It will no longer happen that migrants who have never worked here a single day or paid anything into the social system will get thousands of euros in welfare!” he said in a post that has gained 9,000 “likes.”

(“European far-right jubilant as Austria’s new government is sworn in.” The Local, December 18th)

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HAPSBURG MEMORIES

Empress Elizabeth of Austria, wife of Emperor Franz-Josef.

Coincidentally, at the same time the Austrian government was agreeing a coalition, my wife and I were watching the “Sisi” trilogy on Turner Classic Movies. These three films, made over 50 years ago in Austria (with English sub-titles), portrayed the Austrian Empress Elizabeth, wife of the Emperor Franz Josef, who reigned from 1848-1916. Elizabeth came from Bavaria. She was sympathetic to the aspirations of Hungarian nationalists and was influential in the historic agreement that united Austria and Hungary in the Austro-Hungarian Empire (in 1867). Her life was rather tragic – her only son, the Crown Prince Rudolf, committed suicide and she herself was assassinated a few years later, while visiting Geneva.

It was an interesting time in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. A great deal of liberalization took place under Franz Josef as Austrians tried to keep their multiethnic empire together. Often overlooked is the fact that this major empire gave a home to eleven different nationalities, all united under the Hapsburgs. Today, each ethnic group has its own sovereign state, each one weaker than the old empire.

“The great Czech historian Frantisek Palacky once said that if the Hapsburg Empire had not existed, it would have been necessary to invent it” (The Emperors, by Gareth Russell, 2014, pages 40-41). The European Union is no replacement as it is German dominated.

Some of the former Austrian nationalities are again marching together. Austria, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia are all opposed to further Muslim immigration, wanting to protect and preserve Catholic Europe. These five countries are set to form the Eastern leg of the biblically prophesied revived Roman Empire.

Following the fall of the Roman Empire in the West in the fifth century, there have been a number of attempts to revive it – most recently, in 1922 Mussolini announced a revival of the Roman Empire; in 1957 European leaders signed the Treaty of Rome, forming what is now the European Union, another attempt at uniting Europe. Perhaps out of the rubble of the EU will come the final European Union, led by Germany.

“Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.” (Daniel 2:41-44)

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ANNUAL MESSAGES FROM HEADS OF STATE

Every year, the British monarch speaks to the Commonwealth on Christmas Day. This is a tradition that began with her grandfather, King George V, in 1932. At the time Britain was a global superpower, ruling over a quarter of the world’s people. With the introduction of radio in the previous decade, the king could now address all his subjects around the world.

In 1957 the annual radio broadcast began to be televised. By this time, the empire was fundamentally changing. Indeed, in 1957’s broadcast, the Queen welcomed Ghana and Malaysia into the Commonwealth, as both nations had become independent that year. The 52-nation Commonwealth continues to this day, with the Queen as its Head.

For some years now, the queen’s message has embraced multiculturalism. The Commonwealth is multicultural in itself, composed of nations that have different religions and a great deal of ethnic diversity. This year, she took a different approach to her speech. Instead of emphasizing multiculturalism, she praised the citizens of London and Manchester who suffered terrorist attacks last year; and the heroism of Emergency Responders who helped save lives.

Sadly, it is, of course, multiculturalism which has led directly to terrorism, not just in the United Kingdom but in other countries in Europe.

The queen is a deeply religious woman, never more so than at Christmas. In her speech this year she talked of how Jesus Christ “suffered rejection, hardship and persecution.” Having experienced all three in recent years, I was encouraged by her words, which prompted a Bible Study from this angle.

Queen Elizabeth is not the only Head of State who gives an annual Christmas speech. President Steinmeier of Germany addressed the German people on the same day. The German president, like the British monarch, is a figurehead, playing an important role in unifying the nation at a difficult time. The German president devoted his speech to reassuring the German people, who still do not have a government over three months after the election. This is the longest period in the Federal Republic’s history and, for some, brings back memories of the rather unstable Weimar Republic. Today’s German republic is more resilient and Germany should soon have a new coalition government, made up of two or more parties.

The Pope also gave a Christmas speech. Whereas the British monarch and the German president were careful not to advocate more immigrants, the pope called upon nations to open their doors wider to receive more refugees. Ironically, on the same day, ISIS in Somalia called for the assassination of the pope and for attacks on more western cities, like Manchester and London.

And so it goes on. The West has lost its way and does not know how to respond to radical Islam’s assault upon it. It won’t, until its religious roots are revived. Most people in the West still give lip-service to Christianity, but few think deeply about their traditional religions, both Catholic and Protestant.

Acts 4:12 says of Jesus Christ: “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Muslims deny Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Therefore, to equate Islam with Christianity, makes no sense and endangers Christians, who are ill-prepared for the assault that is taking place upon them today.

The British monarch is the titular Head of the Anglican Community. The Pope is the Head of the Catholic Church.

They need to wake up to what is happening and to see clearly the threat to traditional Christianity.

The Pope, in his annual speech, focused on Jerusalem, calling for an independent Palestinian state, the “two state solution” that has been official policy of most countries in recent years. What the pope is calling for pits him (and the Church) against the US Administration, which is recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

“Pope Francis has used his traditional Christmas Day message to call for “peace for Jerusalem” and dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians. Acknowledging “growing tensions” between them, he urged a “negotiated solution . . . . that would allow the peaceful co-existence of two states.” US President Donald Trump recently announced that America recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The hugely controversial move drew condemnation across the Muslim world. The Roman Catholic leader gave his Urbi et Orbi speech, which in Latin means “To the city and world,” in Saint Peter’s Square.” http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-42477274

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REVISIONIST HISTORY – CHECK THE FACTS!

I’ve taken to looking up just about everything depicted in historical movies and television programs. As we watch a series, I keep my laptop on my lap and google the “facts” depicted by Hollywood and others who make movies. The “facts” are rarely factual. Note the following:

1) The new “History” channel series “Knightfall” depicts the Knights Templar around the year 1300. In the first episode of the series, the Catholic soldiers saved the Jews who were expelled from Paris by King Philip the Fair in 1306. According to the series, the Jews were saved by the Knights Templar.

This is a total fabrication. Note the following from the BBC’s Religion section:

“During the first half of the 13th century the attitude of the Church towards Jews hardened from disapproval to loathing. On 22 July, 1306 King Philip IV of France expelled all Jews from his kingdom.”

2) The second season of “The Crown” (Netflix) implies that Prince Philip cheated on his wife in the 1950’s and early 60’s. There is no evidence for this. It may be true – it may not be true. But people watching the otherwise excellent series will no doubt believe everything they see.

3) “A United Kingdom” was an otherwise good movie, telling the story of Seretse Khama and his wife Ruth Williams. Sir Seretse led Botswana to independence in 1966. He met his wife while studying in London. They were a bi-racial couple in southern Africa, not very common in those days and forbidden in neighboring South Africa, the regional powerhouse. In 1947 the movie referred to the presidents of four neighboring countries, not one of which had a president at the time, as they were all a part of the British Commonwealth.

4) This is the worst one! ‘The Viceroy’s House” is a recent movie set in India at the time of independence and partition, in 1947.

Everything in the movie was good until somebody opened a drawer and pulled out a two-year-old highly secretive British government paper advocating partition of the country into India and (Muslim) Pakistan. So what, you may ask?

Well, this file changed history. Instead of Earl Mountbatten being responsible for partition, the file “revealed” it was war-time leader Winston Churchill. As the anti-colonial Guardian reviewer put it – it was the equivalent of somebody in Germany opening a drawer and finding that the Holocaust was first proposed, not by Hitler, but by Mussolini.

Why can’t the entertainment industry ever get it right? As far more people will watch the movie than read any book on the subject, Churchill will now be blamed for one of the greatest disasters of the twentieth century.

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One very good series we’ve seen was on the National Geographic Channel. It was a biography of Albert Einstein. One of the most brilliant minds in history, he was absolutely hopeless at personal relationships.

I thought you might appreciate the following quote from the great physicist himself: “The universe is so extraordinary that only God could have created it. My job is to figure out how He did it.” (Einstein)

The two greatest scientists of all time were Sir Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein. Many people today see science and religion as opposites — these men did not. They both believed in God. Be sure to share that fact with others.

Gary Johnson is the leader of the Libertarian Party, a third party in the United States. Polls showed the party had 9% support a few days ago – before Mr. Johnson made a big boo-boo on nationwide television. When asked what he would do about Aleppo, he looked bewildered and asked the anchor: “What’s Aleppo?” Aleppo, you will remember, is Syria’s second biggest city and has been devastated in the country’s never-ending civil war. Tens of thousands of refugees have been fleeing the city and the country, heading mostly for Europe.

It’s been big news – and Mr. Johnson was unaware of it!

Sadly, there will be many others in the country who are just as ignorant of the rest of the world.

I’m often amazed at how many people do not want to know what’s going on in the world. Even Christians have a problem in this regard, despite what Jesus Christ said in Matthew 24:42: “Watch therefore for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.” The chapter answers the question from the disciples: “Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” (verse 3)

From other scriptures we know that the Middle East and Europe play a key role in world events. Christians especially should be aware of what is happening in these two areas of the world, but too often they are not. Sadly, some just do not want to know.

“. . . and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.” (Mark 4:19)

Mr. Johnson’s comment (or lack of comment) may have ended his presidential ambitions, which did not have much hope in the first place; but he’s not the only candidate aspiring to the presidency who is ignorant of international affairs.

Donald Trump’s comments on NATO could mean the end of an alliance that has guaranteed peace for the West since World War II; while Mrs. Clinton’s assurance that America is the “indispensable” nation overlooks the fact that America’s preeminence did not begin until after World War II. Before that the world got along fine without the US and could do so again if the country pursued an isolationist course.

Next week, Jean Claude Juncker, the former prime minister of Luxembourg and now President of the European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union, lays out his plan for a European military. The British were very much against this, seeing it as a threat to NATO. But the British are no longer members of the EU. The remaining 27 members of the Union are now free to pursue their own combined military force, which has the potential to rival America’s. The EU remains, even without the UK, the world’s biggest economy and, through trade, has greater economic power around the world than the US does.

Inevitably, an EU military force will be led by Germany, the most powerful economy in Europe.

While Americans remain preoccupied with their election, they may not have noticed a significant victory for the extreme right in last Sunday’s state election in Angela Merkel’s home state. Her party came in third after the socialists and the fairly new anti-immigrant party known as the Alternative for Deutschland (AfD), which some claim is “neo-Nazi.”

“A nationalist, anti-immigration party performed strongly in a state election Sunday in the region where German Chancellor Angela Merkel has her political base, overtaking her conservatives to take second place amid discontent with her migrant policies.

The three-year-old Alternative for Germany, or AfD, won 20.8 percent of votes in the election for the state legislature in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Merkel’s Christian Democrats polled 19 percent, their worst result yet in the state.

The center-left Social Democrats, who led the outgoing state government in a coalition with the conservatives, remained the strongest party with 30.6 percent support.” (ABC News website, 9th September)

The successful vote for Brexit in the UK in June was motivated partly by anti-immigrant feeling. AfD’s success in Germany is due to the same problem. Next year’s federal elections in Germany are likely to reinforce the trend. In France next year a victory is predicted for their anti-immigrant party. The US may see the same in November.

Voters throughout the western world are waking up to the twin threats from globalization and immigration, which together threaten their way of life.

At the same time there are increasing fears of further terrorism from radical Islamists. Europe is being invaded by hundreds of thousands of potential terrorists, mostly from ISIS areas of influence. Could this be the push by the king of the South as described in Daniel 11? The only way to stop this invasion may be for the new European Army to invade the Middle East and stabilize the failed states of Syria, Iraq and Lebanon, as the King of the North hits back.

The changes in Europe will affect the Middle East, the home countries of many of the recent refugees arriving at European borders.

The Visegrad Group is made up of four eastern European countries, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. These four are against the massive immigration that has been favored by Angela Merkel. The four are working together to prevent further invasion from the Mideast by Islamic “refugees,” many of whom, it turns out, are actually from west Africa. Could these four countries be the nucleus of the eastern leg of the revived Roman Empire prophesied by the prophet Daniel in chapter two of the Book of Daniel?

The developments listed above all have two things in common – I have heard nothing about any of them on the main American television news programs. They are not considered important. The US election gets priority. Secondly, they are all of significance when it comes to biblical prophesies relating to Europe. Christians can be forgiven for being ignorant of them.

Having said that, Aleppo has received some attention on national news programs. Clearly, not everyone wants to watch!

They were hardly major items of news, but they illustrate a disturbing trend, with profound implications for the United States and other western nations.

I’m referring to the Administration’s decision two days ago that federal prisons will no longer serve prisoners pork or pork products. Apparently, prisoners have been complaining when they are offered pork.

The same day this announcement was made I got into a conversation with a small group of policemen in a restaurant in Indianapolis. I hastily add our conversation was not prompted by any act on my part! I had commented on how the best place to find policemen in Michigan was at Dunkin Donuts or some comparable fast food outlet; yet, here in Indianapolis, they were at Chick Fil A, which offers a healthier alternative. One policeman responded with a comment about “the other white meat,” which led to the conversation on the pork decision announced earlier that day.

This particular policeman said it’s because so many people in prison are converting to Islam.

Now, I’m not a pork eater myself so, on one level, I support the decision. However, there is a troubling aspect to this decision, a decision that comes just a few weeks after another executive decision to change the wording of the “Oath of Allegiance” that immigrants must repeat before being granted citizenship. Under the old wording, new citizens had to promise to be ready to take up arms in defense of the country should it become necessary. The change, introduced late in July, no longer requires them to pledge to do so.

It’s now been changed to accommodate Muslim sensitivities. And that goes for the prison decision also.

A further example of this trend is that city councils have allowed muezzins to call people to prayer. The Muslim muezzin historically has woken people up early with a loud call to prayer. With a modern microphone it’s easy to wake up the whole neighborhood, Christian, Muslim or Jewish, whether they appreciate it or not.

At the same time, it has also been revealed that Arabic is the fastest growing language in the US.

America’s gradual embrace of Islam continues.

In Europe, however, a backlash has become apparent. This is because of the unexpected decision on the part of German Chancellor Angela Merkel to allow Muslims from Syria to resettle in Germany. They have been arriving in their tens of thousands. Over a million are expected this year alone.

Demonstrations against the immigrants and physical acts of destruction against immigrant shelters have become common. A lengthy article in the latest issue of Der Spiegel is titled: “Deep concern over return of anti-Muslim Pegida protests.” Pegida stands for: “Patriotic Europeans against the Islamization of the Occident.” It operates in a number of countries. Weekly demonstrations directed against Muslims take place on Monday evenings. The numbers demonstrating is once again on the rise, following Mrs. Merkel’s decision to let in so many migrants.

From Der Spiegel: “In the right-wing magazine Compact, Jürgen Elsässer, a writer who speaks at Pegida events, issued a call to arms to Germany’s armed forces to resist the government. “In this situation, it is up to you, soldiers of the Bundeswehr: Fulfill your oath and protect the German people and the liberal and democratic order! Occupy the border stations, above all the border train stations, and close all possible crossings, particularly from the South. Don’t wait for orders from above!”

“At the very least, the movement is conducting “discursive arson,” warns political scientist Vorländer, adding that Pegida is “paving the way” for more radical behavior. In a current situation report, the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), Germany’s answer to the FBI, writes that agitation from the right is having a “catalyzing effect.” During the first nine months of this year, the BKA registered more than 400 attacks on asylum-seeker hostels. For all of 2014, there were only around 200 such attacks.

“The path from words to actions appears to be getting shorter and shorter, as illustrated by Pegida’s “We’ll help build the border” initiative. Announced for the first time in early October in the Saxon town of Sebnitz – a place that is also the site of anti-refugee protests – the action is expected to continue in Bavaria. Hundreds of “wire mesh fence” enthusiasts have set up an event using Facebook for Nov. 8 to seal off the German border on their own. One of the ringleaders is Michael Viehmann, a former supermarket worker from the western city of Kassel, who was also involved in the protests in Sebnitz. November 8, it should be noted, was the date that Adolf Hitler launched his failed “Beer Hall Putsch” in 1923.

“Last year, Viehmann established a Pegida offshoot in a western German state. He is also known to have participated in “Hooligans against Salafists” events in the past and became the subject of a criminal complaint after posting hate speech on the web. He allegedly incited against Jews on Facebook and blustered that, hopefully, “soon a revolution will break out and the whole pack of German politicians will have their skulls bashed in.”

Those with knowledge of German history will see similarities here between what is happening now and what happened in the 1920’s and 30’s. Events then led to Hitler’s coming to power in 1933. Certainly, Mrs. Merkel’s decision to take a million migrants this year is boosting the cause of right wing groups like Pegida.

This is not just happening in Germany. Other European countries that have taken in substantial numbers of Muslims are seeing the same development. In some Swedish cities, migrants are now the majority, totally transforming the country. A report on Focus on Europe, a weekly newsmagazine program shown on PBS but produced by German public television, showed similar problems developing in neighboring Norway.

Bible prophecy shows that there will soon be rapid change in Europe, as ten nations come together to face urgent threats.

“The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.” (Revelation 17:12-14).

The whole chapter is about the Roman Empire and successive attempts throughout history to revive the empire. The latest one was the revival of the Roman Empire proclaimed by Benito Mussolini in 1922, which led to the alliance with Germany’s Third Reich. It is clear from the last verse that this event takes place immediately prior to Christ’s Second Coming. So there is another attempt at European unity prophesied to take place. Once again, it will be led by Germany, the dominant economic power in Europe.

A horn is symbolic of royal authority, but it does not have to be royal.

What this passage of scripture shows is that a sudden change is going to take place in Europe, similar to events in 1848 and 1989, when a number of European governments were overthrown and replaced by something quite different.

A perceived threat, like the one now facing European nations, could easily be the catalyst that leads to a major change in the social order. Germany’s constitution requires the country to provide refuge to refugees. If nothing can be done legally to change that, then public pressure is likely to mount, putting increased pressure on the Federal Republic itself. This will only increase if the new arrivals do not assimilate and even threaten the social order.

The German Chancellor was seen until recently as a solid and stable leader in a time of profound change. Many no longer feel this to be the case.

When viewed from the perspective of history, recognizing that Islam has often threatened the West, what is happening now is the latest attempt to spread Islam into the very heart of the West.

With better historical memory than most western leaders display, the leaders of Slovakia, Romania, Hungary and the Czech Republic are cooperating to try to keep the migrants out, while others, including Germany, are encouraging them to enter. These four countries either suffered under the Ottoman Empire or fought against it when it tried to conquer central Europe.

As the European Union allows for the free movement of peoples within its borders, once any migrants receive citizenship, they will be able to go anywhere.

It remains to be seen what anti-migrant countries will do once the new arrivals can freely move around – but British voters will be more likely to vote to leave the EU, giving them greater freedom to stop the massive migration now taking place.

It’s a time of profound change in Europe, change that could spur the continent toward the formation of the union of ten nations.